March 1, 2021 • 34 mins
Chris and Rob discuss if JJ Watt is a 'fraud' after saying he wanted to sign with a contender in free agency only to turn and take the biggest payday he could from an also-ran like the Arizona Cardinals, tell us why it's a little surprising that New Yorkers are most excited about a mediocre Knicks team than the title-contending Nets, and debate whether or not Kawhi Leonard has lived up to his end of the bargain thus far as the face of the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker J J. Watt. Finally, finally,
the most I'm trying to think, I mean, off the
top of my head, but the most sought after free
(00:42):
agent at this point, or at least one of them,
I believe, What are you saying? Because I really, well,
at this point, I'm thinking, you know, most of the
guys are trades. You know, Dak biggest name. You know,
Dak's obviously under the franchise tag, and Russell and seany
I send them Carson Wentz. These all guys that were
(01:02):
traded or could be. So yeah, among the free guys,
he might be certainly the biggest name. But anyway, he
signed Rob he loud. Wait a minute, who'd he sign
him with? Let me see, did he go to Green Bay?
Did he go to Tampa Bay. Did he go to.
I'm trying to figure out like holding up those teams. Well,
I'm trying to bring up like teams that maybe have
(01:23):
a shot next year to win. Who else can we say, uh,
you'll you'll probably go through about twenty teams before you
get to the one he signed. Wait a minute, I
thought he was trying to win that video but close,
But I thought he was trying to win. It's not
an you the news and then you can go off.
(01:43):
He signed the jj WI sign the two year, thirty
one million dollars deal. Remember we were thinking, there's no
way he's getting fifteen sixteen million like it was reported,
But he got that twenty three million of it guaranteed
and he goals ribbed to the Arizona Cardinals, who were
eight and eight last year. Wait a minute, the eighth.
(02:07):
According to the odds, they have the eighth best odds
of winning the NFC, which of course means they wouldn't
make the playoffs because only seven make the playoffs in
East Conference. So there you have it. Have at him.
Wait a minute, I think jj Watt thought he was
going to the Saint Louis Cardinals because they're good and
(02:30):
they have a chance to win. Oh, wait a minute,
that's baseball. Everything's not funny. Wait a minute, I'm scratching
my head and it has nothing to do with dandruff.
Wait a minute, JJ Watt. I thought you were trying
to win. It wasn't about money. You were gonna make
(02:50):
seventeen million in Houston. So you went where to Arizona
with a lesser quarterback than you had in Houston? Is
that where you're going to win? Hey? Is this on J.
J Watt? Until further notice? You're f f wat as
(03:11):
in fraud fraudulent? What a fraud? You wasn't supposed to
go to a money didn't matter? You made over one
hundred million dollars already. What do you care? You're trying
to win. Your years are dwindling in football. You know what,
take a one year deal with a with a contender
(03:32):
Chris and then if you want to play more and
make more money. I thought that was the move. So basically,
you took six million dollars more to go to a
team that probably worse off than you are. And the
team that you were with is that at least quarterback wise,
what guy is much more proven than the other kid, right,
(03:53):
would you say that? So? So I don't understand this
whole I want to win and what was it tweeted
out that money was a third or fourth thing? On
order tweeted it was third, but it was always it
was on there, It wasn't but it wasn't third obviously,
because why would you go to the Cardinals unless you
(04:15):
just want to go to the desert and hang out
because it ain't about winning. No super Bowl out there.
I'm disapported in jj Watt. I thought he was serious
about winning and instead it's always better with the cheddar.
That's what JJ Watt told us today. Wow. Wow, why
(04:35):
let me let me, let me let me try to
temper this a little bit, all right? These were his
three priorities robed according to ed Werder's tweet last week.
Number one quarterback. Now, you're right, obviously, Deshaun Watson is
better than Kyler Murray. However, he knew that Sean was
not gonna play in Houston anymore, right, so maybe give
(04:57):
him an two supporting personnel that I swear you're runningto
some issues because obviously other teams that were seeking after him,
from Green Bay to Tampa Bay to New Orleans to Cleveland,
Hack even the Pittsburgh had better supporting personnel. And then
(05:20):
three was money. Here's what I'll say is this, Rob,
I would like to know what the difference was between
the offers, if indeed he got other offers, like was
was the What if a contended I'm gonna throw this
at you, What if a contender the most either of
(05:44):
the contenders was offering would say two years eleven million,
seven million guaranteed, or heck even one year. We're offering
your one year eleven million, seven million guarantee, and if
you can get to eleven with some incentives. What if
it was that and you're a guy, Rob, and you
know this, you have said get every last dollar. It's
(06:08):
about making money. Would you be cool with it? Now
that he said, look I want to win, but this
is twenty This is a huge difference in loop so
because because my thing is, well, which one is it?
Because if it's really just about winning, that it doesn't
never just one. Well, I mean, but you know that, Rob,
(06:32):
it's always a mixture. Actually, that tweet if you really
read it the right way, and I'm not saying you
read it wrong, but it says that his priority is
winning a super Bowl, So that would be one, quarterback
would be two, supporting person that would be three, and
money would actually be fourth if you talk about the
way that that tweet from Edward or came out, that's
all I'm saying. No, so money really was way higher
(06:57):
because they didn't Arizona didn't make the playoffs last year, right,
And um, I just don't look at that as like
a team that has a chance to win a super
Bowl anytime soon. So he went for the twenty three
million guarantee. I don't know, Chris, Maybe nobody wanted him.
Maybe maybe what's likely is that they wanted him, but
(07:19):
at a bargain price. Well, but that's what you gotta
about him to jump on the bandwagon, Chris, you gotta
take a discount to make it work. I'll say this though,
and I'm with you in that. You know, we'll see
what playoff picks come our way when we make our picks.
But Arizona certainly is not even close to being a
(07:41):
favorite in the NFC. We all know that. In fact,
they're the they're picked fourth. They have the fourth best
odds in their division of winning their division, so they're
supposed to be according to the odds, at least last
in their division. Let me say this, though Kyler Murray
is a promising order back, obviously DeAndre Hopkins is one
(08:03):
of the best and some might say the best receiver
in the league. That defense was like twelfth in points allowed.
So you add him, who even though he doesn't get
the sacks he used to get, he is gonna make
that running defense even better. And he's still gonna make
the past defense better too because he still gets to
(08:24):
the quarterback. Not as many sacks, but he gets some
QB hits, some rushes, some hurries, things like that. And
don't get me wrong, I get it because if you
want to win, you to went to Tampa, Green Bay,
heck even Cleveland, you could just Pittsburgh. It's about five
or six teams. What I could say, Okay, that makes sense.
(08:45):
He went to Cleveland. They won eleven games last year.
I want a playoff game. I guess there's no guarantee
no matter where you're going, as you've said often, But
I'll just say that it's not like he went to Jacksonville.
It's not like he went to you know, Cincinnati, like Arizona.
They want to win the Super Bowl next year they
(09:06):
make the playoffs, they could make the playoffs. But to
your point, and I'm just trying to look at this
whole thing, he was in the playoffs a lot in Houston,
they went for years, was a lot. So it's not
like he's just hasn't ever made the playoffs. So look,
he went for the loop. It's just as simple as that.
I bet you that the contenders ride. We're only offering
(09:27):
I don't I don't want to say lead, but it wasn't.
It probably wasn't a lot of fight, a haircut and
a one year deal. Chris. Remember this guy hasn't been
on the field often last couple of years either, so
they might be not where Rizona might be out of
their minds because he's been hurt a lot. He's been
hurt where you say a one year deal. Sometimes teams
play what I call the bad team tax. And I'm
(09:49):
not saying that Arizona is a dog, but they didn't
make the playoffs. So Chris, you wind up paying a
little bit more in order to lure people, do you
know what I mean? Like you're not coming off a
playoff playoff run or a playoff win, so you don't
have that to offer, even though that personnel is not bad,
especially with a guy who's saying it's all about winning,
(10:10):
you know what I'm saying, Hey, you definitely gotta ask
some millions on there to get him. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard
and Rod Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey,
what's up everybody? It's me three time pro bowler Levarrington
and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new
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You asked, along with my fellow pro bowler t J.
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You can only name a show with that type of
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to Up on Game with Me, LeVar Arrington, t J.
Hushman's Outa and Plexico Birds on the iHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. I
guess the team you grew up rooting for. Correct new
York Knicks. Yeah. I mean I grew up in New
York and back then there was the Nets didn't count.
(11:16):
That was the only team, Chris, you didn't have to pick. Now,
you're a little older than me. So when you let
in the seventies before the merger between ABA NBA, obviously
Doctor j was playing with the Nets leading them the championships.
Was were they on your radar? No? No, ABA wasn't
on our radar. That was even before me. It was
(11:38):
always about the Knicks. So the Nets, the New York
Nets back then, really didn't figure in. People had to
pick between the Mets and Yankees, the Jets and Giants, Uh,
the Islanders and the Rangers. But but it was it
was never a pick for basketball. The Knicks owned the
town basically by themselves. Well rob uh, they still owned
(11:59):
the town. And you know, I'm here in Jersey. I'm
essentially a suburban New York basically, it's the Greater New
York area. I'm thirty minutes away from Manhattan and the
Knicks people. I'm telling you listening to the radio sports
talk radio in New York and they've actually discussed this here.
(12:20):
They're like, look, the Nets have three of the absolute
best players in basketball. Three in the top fifteen, ten
or whatever. Yeah, I mean wherever you put Kyrie certainly
hardened and Kde or top five or six Kyrie, some
might say top ten, certainly top fifteen, and they have
(12:43):
a legitimate chance to win a championship. That would be
the first NBA championship in New York professional basketball. Robsins
nineteen seventy three when the Knicks won it, and still
people are more excited about the New York Knicks being
(13:06):
eighteen and seventeen. All right, they won last night and fans,
you know, now they can go to the games. It
was like two thousand fans at the game. They're out
robbed in the streets, no lie, in the streets of Manhattan, dancing, prancing,
(13:27):
frolicking like Mick Jagger and David Bowie when you need them. Yes,
rob they are celebrating like the Knicks actually did something
because they're a game over five hundred. And here's what
I want to throw at you, because I'm not you know,
I'm not from New York. I came to New York
(13:48):
and was baffled, baffled by how are But you gotta
remember this, like like like, like I said, ay, they
had no other competition right in the city, and people
of basketball fans in New York people love going about it. Yeah,
because here's the question I want to throw at you,
is the fact that they have three all time great players,
(14:15):
three clear cut Hall of famers on one teams, and
they're more excited about a team of all soul rands
who are barely above five hundred. Is that sad or
is that admirable? Because this is like you got Jerry West,
(14:38):
Elgin Baylor and Will Chamberlain there, and you'd rather watch
you know, swin Nater and the crew because that's your team.
I mean, I'm just throwing it out. There's just a discussion.
I think it's a right. I think it's a combination.
First of all, I don't believe people are just gonna
give up their team because the other team in town
got good. It's like the Lakers and Clippers, they got
(15:01):
more than good. Rob you no, no, no, no, no, no,
I got that. But I'm just saying, but some of
the numbers that we've seen Chris TV ratings wise have
shown that. I mean that was a while ago, and
there turn about that on the radio too. Left since
the MSG's been demolishing them. They're like they yeah, they
mocked that. They were like, oh yes, yes, put that
(15:21):
out there, like you know, they're trying to do something,
and they included national games, which obviously made a different
They couldn't know that what they were saying on the radio.
And then they were like ever since then, MSG's been
crushing them. Yeah, I just I don't expect people to
give up their lifelong allegiances Chris Overnight. I mean, I don't.
(15:44):
I'm not saying that if I'm a basketball fan in
New York, would I turn and watch the Nets as well,
even if I was a Nick fan or the Knicks.
And it tells you how sad the Knicks franchise has been.
I mean, let's just be honest, right, so bad that
people are celebrating being one game under five hundred as
if they've done something one game over five hundred. I'm sorry.
(16:05):
Uh So, it's to me, it's sad that that that's
your that's where you think, um where you should be
excited about or you should be worked up and feeling
good about. An organization has done a lot bad and
just had with with ownership, with all the hiring. It
ain't like they're running away with anything. And I looked
(16:27):
at their record. Two Uh, it's that they're about five hundred,
five hundred against the good teams, Chris, and five hundred
against the bad teams. That's that's really where they are.
Um So I think it told you the state of
the Knicks, where they are, and how desperate people are
just to feel decent or feel good because they've been
so bad. Yeah. And what baffled me when I got
(16:51):
to New York Robb. Because every city loves its team,
especially a basketball seat, right, I get that, But my
thing was New Yorkers and Rob. This has been this
is born out every time there's a big time free agent.
Maybe now they finally learned their lesson that they're not
getting that guy, or they're certainly not getting most of
(17:14):
those guys. But whether it started with we actually it
started before Lebron, but we got Lebron, we got you know,
Kevin Durant. You know, every time a big name free
agent comes up, the Knicks think they're getting him, and
they failed every time. And when I was covering the team,
Grant Hill, Chris Webber, those guys were free agents and
(17:37):
even though the Knicks didn't have the cap room to
get them, people swore they're gonna do something. If they
just get the cap room, these guys will come. They
felt like every player grew up wanting to play for
the Knicks, And I guess I can get it. From
the standpoint, rob Oh, this is our biggest city in
the country, right, So you would think, right, you would
(17:59):
think if I'm in Italy, I'm thinking everybody wants to
be in Rome, right. I'm not thinking they like Milan better,
or they might play in Milan or some other places.
I'm thinking they want to get to Rome. But you know,
I didn't grow up in New York. I grew up
in the Midwest for the most part, and the NIXT
to me, they were like the twelfth team I thought
(18:20):
of when it came to the NBA. Not no exaggeration.
And so they're not the Cowboys, they're not the Lakers,
they're not the Yankees, you know what I mean. They're
not one of these national teams. But people in New
York seem to think they are. No, it's a it's
a I agree with that. It's a combination of the
old time fans, Madison Square Garden, which is a great
(18:43):
place to watch a game. Chris, you cover games. I
cover games. The best part about Madison Square Garden it's
like you're at a like you're at a Broadway show.
The house, the seats are dark, and the stage right
the court Chris has lit up well and they're stars
and celebrities all rose. Yeah, but you know what I mean.
But but the way you watch the game in the
(19:04):
dark like you would watch a Broadway show. Most arenas
are not like that. They're lit. The whole place is lit.
It's really unique and it's a big deal. And I
think you know New York has had from those Nick
teams that they loved Chris in the seventies forty years ago.
(19:25):
They're still living off of that because they don't they
haven't had anything now. Patrick Ewen went to the finals twice.
They went to a game seven against Houston. Remember John
Stark shot three eighteen or whatever, think it two p
eighteen and including one. Think different. And he's obviously viewed
as an all time great Hall of Famer and all that,
(19:46):
But think how different Patrick Ewing's legacy would be if
they had won that game. Oh, big time, you know
that big time. And if you remember, they lost by
about six Chris, I want to say four or six game.
It was a close game and your two guards choose
two for eighteen, like normally you're cooked. Yep, And that's
(20:07):
how close they were. And it was game seven and
it was in Houston. But yeah, I think it's sad
that people are celebrating a one game over five hundred
as if they've achieved something. And then you look at
some of the other teams. There's still another half of
a season to go. Am I convinced that Toronto when
some of these teams Chris, Miami, Boston's behind the guy
(20:30):
like Boston, Miami and what else? And Toronto are they
gonna be behind the Knicks. I'm not sure when the
season is over that they don't get their second winning
play better than the second half, they could still not
make the playoffs. They're not like they absolutely got cushion
or something right. Absolutely, Indiana's behind them too, Like the
Knicks are the fourth seed, which you know that's nice,
(20:54):
but you gotta keep it in perspective. And Rob and
I say this too as a basketball fan, and I
get that that's your team. And I'm again I'm different.
I moved around a lot, you know this, so I
never I was in Indianapolis with the Pacers, but I
wasn't a Pacers fan. So because I moved around a lot,
I never got attached to like one, so you never. Well,
(21:17):
I had teams, but they were national like. So when
I was really young, I liked Doctor Jay, so I
liked the seventy sixers, and then I became a huge
Magic Magic Johnson became my favorite player. So then I
liked the Lakers, and then Jordan became my favorite player,
and I was with Jordan, so you know what I'm saying.
So I'm not I wasn't with one team. Indiana and
(21:38):
is the only city I even lived in Indianapolis that
had had a baschool. So other than Cleveland, I got
to Cleveland, you know in high school. See, when I
was a kid, it was it was about the Knicks.
I remember going to Madison Squire Garden with my uncles
and everything, and it was just a big thrill, Chris,
you know what I mean, to go to Madison Square
Garden as a kid to a basketball game. It was
(22:00):
just it was so I was like a Knicks, Islanders, Mets,
and Jets fans. That's what I was as a kid.
I don't root for anybody now, but that's what I
was as a kid, and the Knicks were a big part.
I watched every single game as a kid. They used
to come on Channel nine, Chris. They didn't come on
every night. So when a Nick game came on TV, right,
(22:22):
I watched every single minute of it. They didn't come on.
Every game, wasn't on. All these kids today are spoiler
Oh yeah that every game is on. Absolutely, we didn't
get an Every game wasn't on. Weekends were big to
watch games, you know. And yeah, I'm just saying, like,
if I'm a real and I'm not saying New York
is obviously they're real basketball fans. But I'm sorry, I
(22:46):
can't ignore what's going on in Brooklyn, and you might
not root for him, but the fact rob that they're
We're in a bat I'm in a basketball city, New York,
and they're not talking about Brooklyn for the most part.
On the radio, I got Kevin Durant, who could be,
(23:07):
you know, a top twelve, fifteen player of all time.
James Harden might be in there too, Top fifteen, Top twenty,
and I got Kyrie Irving, another future Hall of Famer
who's one of the most exciting players we've ever seen,
best ball handler ever. And I'm not talking a lot
about Brooklyn on the radio. I'm just saying, like, it
(23:31):
doesn't get any better than Rob. You noticed you you're
all on Brooklyn. This could be one of the We'll
see what they do, but potentially this could be one
of the best teams we've ever seen, no doubt. I
don't know how you could be Maybe, I mean I
think something. It's hard. Habits are hard to break, and
maybe not until the Knicks really fall out of it,
(23:53):
Chris or whatever it is, and then you realize. But
I agree, this is not just an allsult. This is
not just not just a good average Nets and Necks
are good, you know, the average Nuts team. I agree
with you. Then the conversation would still be what's wrong
with the Knicks? How can we fix the Knicks? When
they're gonna get rid of the coach, We're are gonna
get a free agent, you know, like those are the storylines.
(24:14):
We're bad teams, But I don't know how they how
they're not giving the Nets more when the Nets are
were in Brooklyn now they wear jersey. Anybody remember when
we had Harvey aaronton the Great New York Times columnists One,
remember that a few weeks ago and we asked him
about the Nets. He answered it, you know, but then
(24:34):
he ended up bringing up the Knicks, You remember that,
and talking about how excited everybody was about Julius Randall
and the Knicks, and we're like, wait a minute, dude,
what and we talk about Kevin Durant, James Harden and
these guys. So Fox Sports Radio has the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the iHeart
(24:56):
Radio app. Search f SR to listen live robs. I
mean you're in La. Let's go to La. Uh the Nets,
I mean not the Nets, the Clippers, who are the
nets of La. They had a disappointing loss, and I'm
not gonna make too much out of a February loss, right,
especially since their record is good. They've played pretty well
(25:19):
this year. They played pretty well, but that was bad. Yeah.
The way they lost, I mean they were up seven
with eight minutes left, which you know, obviously in today's right, right,
but still, and they lost to the Milwaukee bus. They
got outscored nine oh in the last four minutes, didn't
(25:39):
hit a score point or hit a bucket out. They've
been the best three point shooting team in the league.
But here's the thing, Rob, they're legit and this should
worry you jump shooting team. They're twenty fifth in the
NBA and free throw attempts, so obviously they're not driving
(26:01):
and getting it, don't get to the basket. And seven
points in the paint, Rob, right, So now they leave
the league in free in three point percentage. So they're
shooting the three. But as you know, I don't care,
how will you shoot it? You see Steph Curry have
off nights, so you're gonna have off nights. That old
cliche lived by the three, died by the three, that
(26:22):
that they didn't make that up for no reason. Chris,
that's that's again. That's why people have felt, all you know,
for the most most of basketball history that a jump
shooting team couldn't win the championship. Now today's era, that's different.
But still, like you said, that cliche holds true. I
want to throw a few numbers at you from Kauai
and ask you a pointed question about him uh, Kawhi
(26:46):
Leonard is the fourth worst. He has the fourth in
terms of clutch minutes in the NBA, and you know
that's like the last five minutes games within five points.
Kauai has the fourth fourth worst clutch field goal percentage
in the NBA. They've been out. The Clippers have been
(27:08):
outscored by nineteen points in Kauhi's thirty five clutch time
minutes this season. He has missed eighteen of the twenty
three pointers he's attempted in clutch time. And so Kawhi
his overall field goal percentage in clutch time, Rob, It
(27:31):
was thirty eight point six percent last year, which isn't great,
but his clutch time, so it's not gonna be as high.
But now it's twenty eight percent this season. I'm gonna
throw this out at you, Rob, because last year they
obviously didn't win the title. Not only did they not
win the title, which no shame in that coming together
your first year not winning the title, but they did
go out prematurely. They went out in the second round
(27:53):
and he choked right, I mean, I don't sugarcoaded, he
choked him. And Paul George could not have played worst,
but I put it on Kawhi because when they went
to make that move, Chris, that's the guy who we
saw performed for Toronto when it mattered, making a big
shot winning the series against Philadelphia, you know what I mean.
(28:17):
So that's what they got him for. They got him
for that game. That's when you want Kawhi led him
to be your guy for a game seven. It didn't
work out. And so far this year, despite their record
and because they've been out in front of people and
not really pressed. But the numbers are ugly or fugling,
whatever you want to say, right those are those are
(28:38):
not That's not a good thing. I don't know what's
their record in games decided by five or less or
whatever they I'm just curious or less. Go ahead and
find that Rob year. Can you help us? Do you feel?
And look, it's his second year, so obviously he's got
time to change this. But I would say this, Rob
to this point as good as he's been, and he's
(28:59):
clearly wanted the best players in the league, and they
are obviously relevant, they're on the national map, but he
hasn't lived up to what they brought him in for
it yet, No, he has not. I don't think anybody
could say that that's not why this is the guy's
won two finals MVPs and no. Has he played well
(29:20):
enough Chris and most of the stretches, absolutely, But has
he been the guy that you thought he would be.
You know, just going back to last year, forget about
this year, that Game seven will haunt him until it
just will. I mean, I'm not saying that he had
to score ninety points, Chris, but he couldn't turn in
that performance when his team needed him most and they
(29:43):
would go in the other way. And that's what you
look at. It doesn't negate what he's done. You can't
take that away from him. But but coming to the Clippers,
so far, it hasn't worked out. And anybody who wants
to paint a February game when his team is ten
or twelve games over five hundred and say oh this
is it. They're bad or he's bad. I think that's ridiculous.
(30:05):
I think that in the Western Conference, don't have a
say if everybody's healthy, but he hasn't lived up to it. Well.
In New York, they'd be dancing in the streets over
that record. Of course, twenty four and twelve by the
way to answer your question. They are one and two
in games decide about I was gonna say I don't
(30:25):
think they play that mini games like, but but I
really don't. I did because they usually chris usually when
comfortably when they win nine average of six points a game. Right,
they're differential. Yeah, they're fourteen and four in games decided
by less than ten points. So but anything between three
and ten their money anything less than three, not so much.
I would say this interesting. Um their levels to this,
(30:49):
as you know, and whenever you achieve something in the NBA,
it's nice. It's like, okay, can you go to the
next level? Right? Like Jannis he won the MVP award,
then he won it again and now we're wondering, okay,
can you go to the next level? Though, right, that's great,
(31:10):
but can you lead a team to a championship. That's
the next level we're waiting to see from you. Now.
Kauai has won championships, okay, he has you know, been
as you said, the finals MVP. But we are looking
for him now. The next level for him now it's expected.
(31:31):
You know when he wanted saying Antonio, obviously it wasn't
his team. He was a fourth guy. You know, you
had Tim Duncan, Minu Genoble, Tony Parker and then Kauhi.
And Kauai won that MVP, which taken nothing away from him,
but you could have given it to somebody else and
it would you know, he a lot of guys that
play well, but he wanted him, not taking away from me.
But my point was rob he was not expected to
(31:53):
carry that team, you know what I mean, Like he
was a part of the team, and so no expectations.
You go to Torto, as you know, it was viewed
as a one year rental. He wasn't expected to carry
them to the finals. And they get to the finals.
There's no pressure on them other than you know, playing
(32:15):
in those games. But nobody's expecting them to win. The
Warriors have a bunch of injuries and they win. So
now this when he's in LA he came with incredible fanfare.
You're in Lebron's backyard, You're in the same building as Lebron,
and a lot of people robbed last year were saying
(32:35):
Kawhi's better than Lebron. Well, he was coming off a
win and people really like the way that team was
put together. I don't forget lets like, yeah, you know
that they're the best roster, like the way it was
put together. No, right, But but my point is that
that put expectations for the first time he was expected
to carry a team like Lebron gets. He had those
(32:58):
expectations on you every year. So this is the next level.
That's my take that that there was definitely and that's
because Chris. He's coming in. When you look at a
guy and go because because nobody does what he did,
which is go to Toronto as a rental player, Chris
and lead that. You remember they couldn't get out of
(33:19):
the first round, right, they had to say, couldn't get
out of the East. Remember they kept getting beat by Lebron, right,
they kept they kept getting knocked out or whatever. And
then he comes and all of a sudden they win,
and I think, compare you know when you add that
to where he was and remember if he makes one
free throw against Miami and that later in that game six, Chris,
(33:41):
he might he might have sealed that game. You remember
the where he missed the free throw and then the Lakers,
I mean the the you mean against Denver, No, no, no, no,
when he was with uh when they played Miami. Okay, yeah,
I remember the free throw he missed. Yeah, that would
have put him up by four. Ray Allen hide the game.
I'm just saying, he makes that free throw, he might
(34:03):
have three championships, you know what I mean, right right,
But I think this is the first term he's been expected,
you know what I mean, to lead a team because
people are expecting a championship, and so that's the next
level for him to get to. We talked about Luca earlier.
Rob Okay, he's shown us he's at a certain level,
and it's a high one. But can you really can
(34:26):
you lead your team to victories? That'll be the first thing, right,
lead them deep in the playoffs, and then we'll start
talking about, okay, can you lead your team to a championship?
So Kawi's got another level to go to. We'll see
if he can get there.
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker J J. Watt. Finally, finally,
the most I'm trying to think, I mean, off the
top of my head, but the most sought after free
(00:42):
agent at this point, or at least one of them,
I believe, What are you saying? Because I really, well,
at this point, I'm thinking, you know, most of the
guys are trades. You know, Dak biggest name. You know,
Dak's obviously under the franchise tag, and Russell and seany
I send them Carson Wentz. These all guys that were
(01:02):
traded or could be. So yeah, among the free guys,
he might be certainly the biggest name. But anyway, he
signed Rob he loud. Wait a minute, who'd he sign
him with? Let me see, did he go to Green Bay?
Did he go to Tampa Bay. Did he go to.
I'm trying to figure out like holding up those teams. Well,
I'm trying to bring up like teams that maybe have
(01:23):
a shot next year to win. Who else can we say, uh,
you'll you'll probably go through about twenty teams before you
get to the one he signed. Wait a minute, I
thought he was trying to win that video but close,
But I thought he was trying to win. It's not
an you the news and then you can go off.
(01:43):
He signed the jj WI sign the two year, thirty
one million dollars deal. Remember we were thinking, there's no
way he's getting fifteen sixteen million like it was reported,
But he got that twenty three million of it guaranteed
and he goals ribbed to the Arizona Cardinals, who were
eight and eight last year. Wait a minute, the eighth.
(02:07):
According to the odds, they have the eighth best odds
of winning the NFC, which of course means they wouldn't
make the playoffs because only seven make the playoffs in
East Conference. So there you have it. Have at him.
Wait a minute, I think jj Watt thought he was
going to the Saint Louis Cardinals because they're good and
(02:30):
they have a chance to win. Oh, wait a minute,
that's baseball. Everything's not funny. Wait a minute, I'm scratching
my head and it has nothing to do with dandruff.
Wait a minute, JJ Watt. I thought you were trying
to win. It wasn't about money. You were gonna make
(02:50):
seventeen million in Houston. So you went where to Arizona
with a lesser quarterback than you had in Houston? Is
that where you're going to win? Hey? Is this on J.
J Watt? Until further notice? You're f f wat as
(03:11):
in fraud fraudulent? What a fraud? You wasn't supposed to
go to a money didn't matter? You made over one
hundred million dollars already. What do you care? You're trying
to win. Your years are dwindling in football. You know what,
take a one year deal with a with a contender
(03:32):
Chris and then if you want to play more and
make more money. I thought that was the move. So basically,
you took six million dollars more to go to a
team that probably worse off than you are. And the
team that you were with is that at least quarterback wise,
what guy is much more proven than the other kid, right,
(03:53):
would you say that? So? So I don't understand this
whole I want to win and what was it tweeted
out that money was a third or fourth thing? On
order tweeted it was third, but it was always it
was on there, It wasn't but it wasn't third obviously,
because why would you go to the Cardinals unless you
(04:15):
just want to go to the desert and hang out
because it ain't about winning. No super Bowl out there.
I'm disapported in jj Watt. I thought he was serious
about winning and instead it's always better with the cheddar.
That's what JJ Watt told us today. Wow. Wow, why
(04:35):
let me let me, let me let me try to
temper this a little bit, all right? These were his
three priorities robed according to ed Werder's tweet last week.
Number one quarterback. Now, you're right, obviously, Deshaun Watson is
better than Kyler Murray. However, he knew that Sean was
not gonna play in Houston anymore, right, so maybe give
(04:57):
him an two supporting personnel that I swear you're runningto
some issues because obviously other teams that were seeking after him,
from Green Bay to Tampa Bay to New Orleans to Cleveland,
Hack even the Pittsburgh had better supporting personnel. And then
(05:20):
three was money. Here's what I'll say is this, Rob,
I would like to know what the difference was between
the offers, if indeed he got other offers, like was
was the What if a contended I'm gonna throw this
at you, What if a contender the most either of
(05:44):
the contenders was offering would say two years eleven million,
seven million guaranteed, or heck even one year. We're offering
your one year eleven million, seven million guarantee, and if
you can get to eleven with some incentives. What if
it was that and you're a guy, Rob, and you
know this, you have said get every last dollar. It's
(06:08):
about making money. Would you be cool with it? Now
that he said, look I want to win, but this
is twenty This is a huge difference in loop so
because because my thing is, well, which one is it?
Because if it's really just about winning, that it doesn't
never just one. Well, I mean, but you know that, Rob,
(06:32):
it's always a mixture. Actually, that tweet if you really
read it the right way, and I'm not saying you
read it wrong, but it says that his priority is
winning a super Bowl, So that would be one, quarterback
would be two, supporting person that would be three, and
money would actually be fourth if you talk about the
way that that tweet from Edward or came out, that's
all I'm saying. No, so money really was way higher
(06:57):
because they didn't Arizona didn't make the playoffs last year, right,
And um, I just don't look at that as like
a team that has a chance to win a super
Bowl anytime soon. So he went for the twenty three
million guarantee. I don't know, Chris, Maybe nobody wanted him.
Maybe maybe what's likely is that they wanted him, but
(07:19):
at a bargain price. Well, but that's what you gotta
about him to jump on the bandwagon, Chris, you gotta
take a discount to make it work. I'll say this though,
and I'm with you in that. You know, we'll see
what playoff picks come our way when we make our picks.
But Arizona certainly is not even close to being a
(07:41):
favorite in the NFC. We all know that. In fact,
they're the they're picked fourth. They have the fourth best
odds in their division of winning their division, so they're
supposed to be according to the odds, at least last
in their division. Let me say this, though Kyler Murray
is a promising order back, obviously DeAndre Hopkins is one
(08:03):
of the best and some might say the best receiver
in the league. That defense was like twelfth in points allowed.
So you add him, who even though he doesn't get
the sacks he used to get, he is gonna make
that running defense even better. And he's still gonna make
the past defense better too because he still gets to
(08:24):
the quarterback. Not as many sacks, but he gets some
QB hits, some rushes, some hurries, things like that. And
don't get me wrong, I get it because if you
want to win, you to went to Tampa, Green Bay,
heck even Cleveland, you could just Pittsburgh. It's about five
or six teams. What I could say, Okay, that makes sense.
(08:45):
He went to Cleveland. They won eleven games last year.
I want a playoff game. I guess there's no guarantee
no matter where you're going, as you've said often, But
I'll just say that it's not like he went to Jacksonville.
It's not like he went to you know, Cincinnati, like Arizona.
They want to win the Super Bowl next year they
(09:06):
make the playoffs, they could make the playoffs. But to
your point, and I'm just trying to look at this
whole thing, he was in the playoffs a lot in Houston,
they went for years, was a lot. So it's not
like he's just hasn't ever made the playoffs. So look,
he went for the loop. It's just as simple as that.
I bet you that the contenders ride. We're only offering
(09:27):
I don't I don't want to say lead, but it wasn't.
It probably wasn't a lot of fight, a haircut and
a one year deal. Chris. Remember this guy hasn't been
on the field often last couple of years either, so
they might be not where Rizona might be out of
their minds because he's been hurt a lot. He's been
hurt where you say a one year deal. Sometimes teams
play what I call the bad team tax. And I'm
(09:49):
not saying that Arizona is a dog, but they didn't
make the playoffs. So Chris, you wind up paying a
little bit more in order to lure people, do you
know what I mean? Like you're not coming off a
playoff playoff run or a playoff win, so you don't
have that to offer, even though that personnel is not bad,
especially with a guy who's saying it's all about winning,
(10:10):
you know what I'm saying, Hey, you definitely gotta ask
some millions on there to get him. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard
and Rod Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey,
what's up everybody? It's me three time pro bowler Levarrington
and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new
(10:32):
podcast called Up on Game? What is Up on Game?
You asked, along with my fellow pro bowler t J.
Hudshman's Outa and Super Bowl Champion. Yep, that's right, Plexico Birds.
You can only name a show with that type of
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(10:54):
to Up on Game with Me, LeVar Arrington, t J.
Hushman's Outa and Plexico Birds on the iHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. I
guess the team you grew up rooting for. Correct new
York Knicks. Yeah. I mean I grew up in New
York and back then there was the Nets didn't count.
(11:16):
That was the only team, Chris, you didn't have to pick. Now,
you're a little older than me. So when you let
in the seventies before the merger between ABA NBA, obviously
Doctor j was playing with the Nets leading them the championships.
Was were they on your radar? No? No, ABA wasn't
on our radar. That was even before me. It was
(11:38):
always about the Knicks. So the Nets, the New York
Nets back then, really didn't figure in. People had to
pick between the Mets and Yankees, the Jets and Giants, Uh,
the Islanders and the Rangers. But but it was it
was never a pick for basketball. The Knicks owned the
town basically by themselves. Well rob uh, they still owned
(11:59):
the town. And you know, I'm here in Jersey. I'm
essentially a suburban New York basically, it's the Greater New
York area. I'm thirty minutes away from Manhattan and the
Knicks people. I'm telling you listening to the radio sports
talk radio in New York and they've actually discussed this here.
(12:20):
They're like, look, the Nets have three of the absolute
best players in basketball. Three in the top fifteen, ten
or whatever. Yeah, I mean wherever you put Kyrie certainly
hardened and Kde or top five or six Kyrie, some
might say top ten, certainly top fifteen, and they have
(12:43):
a legitimate chance to win a championship. That would be
the first NBA championship in New York professional basketball. Robsins
nineteen seventy three when the Knicks won it, and still
people are more excited about the New York Knicks being
(13:06):
eighteen and seventeen. All right, they won last night and fans,
you know, now they can go to the games. It
was like two thousand fans at the game. They're out
robbed in the streets, no lie, in the streets of Manhattan, dancing, prancing,
(13:27):
frolicking like Mick Jagger and David Bowie when you need them. Yes,
rob they are celebrating like the Knicks actually did something
because they're a game over five hundred. And here's what
I want to throw at you, because I'm not you know,
I'm not from New York. I came to New York
(13:48):
and was baffled, baffled by how are But you gotta
remember this, like like like, like I said, ay, they
had no other competition right in the city, and people
of basketball fans in New York people love going about it. Yeah,
because here's the question I want to throw at you,
is the fact that they have three all time great players,
(14:15):
three clear cut Hall of famers on one teams, and
they're more excited about a team of all soul rands
who are barely above five hundred. Is that sad or
is that admirable? Because this is like you got Jerry West,
(14:38):
Elgin Baylor and Will Chamberlain there, and you'd rather watch
you know, swin Nater and the crew because that's your team.
I mean, I'm just throwing it out. There's just a discussion.
I think it's a right. I think it's a combination.
First of all, I don't believe people are just gonna
give up their team because the other team in town
got good. It's like the Lakers and Clippers, they got
(15:01):
more than good. Rob you no, no, no, no, no, no,
I got that. But I'm just saying, but some of
the numbers that we've seen Chris TV ratings wise have
shown that. I mean that was a while ago, and
there turn about that on the radio too. Left since
the MSG's been demolishing them. They're like they yeah, they
mocked that. They were like, oh yes, yes, put that
(15:21):
out there, like you know, they're trying to do something,
and they included national games, which obviously made a different
They couldn't know that what they were saying on the radio.
And then they were like ever since then, MSG's been
crushing them. Yeah, I just I don't expect people to
give up their lifelong allegiances Chris Overnight. I mean, I don't.
(15:44):
I'm not saying that if I'm a basketball fan in
New York, would I turn and watch the Nets as well,
even if I was a Nick fan or the Knicks.
And it tells you how sad the Knicks franchise has been.
I mean, let's just be honest, right, so bad that
people are celebrating being one game under five hundred as
if they've done something one game over five hundred. I'm sorry.
(16:05):
Uh So, it's to me, it's sad that that that's
your that's where you think, um where you should be
excited about or you should be worked up and feeling
good about. An organization has done a lot bad and
just had with with ownership, with all the hiring. It
ain't like they're running away with anything. And I looked
(16:27):
at their record. Two Uh, it's that they're about five hundred,
five hundred against the good teams, Chris, and five hundred
against the bad teams. That's that's really where they are.
Um So I think it told you the state of
the Knicks, where they are, and how desperate people are
just to feel decent or feel good because they've been
so bad. Yeah. And what baffled me when I got
(16:51):
to New York Robb. Because every city loves its team,
especially a basketball seat, right, I get that, But my
thing was New Yorkers and Rob. This has been this
is born out every time there's a big time free agent.
Maybe now they finally learned their lesson that they're not
getting that guy, or they're certainly not getting most of
(17:14):
those guys. But whether it started with we actually it
started before Lebron, but we got Lebron, we got you know,
Kevin Durant. You know, every time a big name free
agent comes up, the Knicks think they're getting him, and
they failed every time. And when I was covering the team,
Grant Hill, Chris Webber, those guys were free agents and
(17:37):
even though the Knicks didn't have the cap room to
get them, people swore they're gonna do something. If they
just get the cap room, these guys will come. They
felt like every player grew up wanting to play for
the Knicks, And I guess I can get it. From
the standpoint, rob Oh, this is our biggest city in
the country, right, So you would think, right, you would
(17:59):
think if I'm in Italy, I'm thinking everybody wants to
be in Rome, right. I'm not thinking they like Milan better,
or they might play in Milan or some other places.
I'm thinking they want to get to Rome. But you know,
I didn't grow up in New York. I grew up
in the Midwest for the most part, and the NIXT
to me, they were like the twelfth team I thought
(18:20):
of when it came to the NBA. Not no exaggeration.
And so they're not the Cowboys, they're not the Lakers,
they're not the Yankees, you know what I mean. They're
not one of these national teams. But people in New
York seem to think they are. No, it's a it's
a I agree with that. It's a combination of the
old time fans, Madison Square Garden, which is a great
(18:43):
place to watch a game. Chris, you cover games. I
cover games. The best part about Madison Square Garden it's
like you're at a like you're at a Broadway show.
The house, the seats are dark, and the stage right
the court Chris has lit up well and they're stars
and celebrities all rose. Yeah, but you know what I mean.
But but the way you watch the game in the
(19:04):
dark like you would watch a Broadway show. Most arenas
are not like that. They're lit. The whole place is lit.
It's really unique and it's a big deal. And I
think you know New York has had from those Nick
teams that they loved Chris in the seventies forty years ago.
(19:25):
They're still living off of that because they don't they
haven't had anything now. Patrick Ewen went to the finals twice.
They went to a game seven against Houston. Remember John
Stark shot three eighteen or whatever, think it two p
eighteen and including one. Think different. And he's obviously viewed
as an all time great Hall of Famer and all that,
(19:46):
But think how different Patrick Ewing's legacy would be if
they had won that game. Oh, big time, you know
that big time. And if you remember, they lost by
about six Chris, I want to say four or six game.
It was a close game and your two guards choose
two for eighteen, like normally you're cooked. Yep, And that's
(20:07):
how close they were. And it was game seven and
it was in Houston. But yeah, I think it's sad
that people are celebrating a one game over five hundred
as if they've achieved something. And then you look at
some of the other teams. There's still another half of
a season to go. Am I convinced that Toronto when
some of these teams Chris, Miami, Boston's behind the guy
(20:30):
like Boston, Miami and what else? And Toronto are they
gonna be behind the Knicks. I'm not sure when the
season is over that they don't get their second winning
play better than the second half, they could still not
make the playoffs. They're not like they absolutely got cushion
or something right. Absolutely, Indiana's behind them too, Like the
Knicks are the fourth seed, which you know that's nice,
(20:54):
but you gotta keep it in perspective. And Rob and
I say this too as a basketball fan, and I
get that that's your team. And I'm again I'm different.
I moved around a lot, you know this, so I
never I was in Indianapolis with the Pacers, but I
wasn't a Pacers fan. So because I moved around a lot,
I never got attached to like one, so you never. Well,
(21:17):
I had teams, but they were national like. So when
I was really young, I liked Doctor Jay, so I
liked the seventy sixers, and then I became a huge
Magic Magic Johnson became my favorite player. So then I
liked the Lakers, and then Jordan became my favorite player,
and I was with Jordan, so you know what I'm saying.
So I'm not I wasn't with one team. Indiana and
(21:38):
is the only city I even lived in Indianapolis that
had had a baschool. So other than Cleveland, I got
to Cleveland, you know in high school. See, when I
was a kid, it was it was about the Knicks.
I remember going to Madison Squire Garden with my uncles
and everything, and it was just a big thrill, Chris,
you know what I mean, to go to Madison Square
Garden as a kid to a basketball game. It was
(22:00):
just it was so I was like a Knicks, Islanders, Mets,
and Jets fans. That's what I was as a kid.
I don't root for anybody now, but that's what I
was as a kid, and the Knicks were a big part.
I watched every single game as a kid. They used
to come on Channel nine, Chris. They didn't come on
every night. So when a Nick game came on TV, right,
(22:22):
I watched every single minute of it. They didn't come on.
Every game, wasn't on. All these kids today are spoiler
Oh yeah that every game is on. Absolutely, we didn't
get an Every game wasn't on. Weekends were big to
watch games, you know. And yeah, I'm just saying, like,
if I'm a real and I'm not saying New York
is obviously they're real basketball fans. But I'm sorry, I
(22:46):
can't ignore what's going on in Brooklyn, and you might
not root for him, but the fact rob that they're
We're in a bat I'm in a basketball city, New York,
and they're not talking about Brooklyn for the most part.
On the radio, I got Kevin Durant, who could be,
(23:07):
you know, a top twelve, fifteen player of all time.
James Harden might be in there too, Top fifteen, Top twenty,
and I got Kyrie Irving, another future Hall of Famer
who's one of the most exciting players we've ever seen,
best ball handler ever. And I'm not talking a lot
about Brooklyn on the radio. I'm just saying, like, it
(23:31):
doesn't get any better than Rob. You noticed you you're
all on Brooklyn. This could be one of the We'll
see what they do, but potentially this could be one
of the best teams we've ever seen, no doubt. I
don't know how you could be Maybe, I mean I
think something. It's hard. Habits are hard to break, and
maybe not until the Knicks really fall out of it,
(23:53):
Chris or whatever it is, and then you realize. But
I agree, this is not just an allsult. This is
not just not just a good average Nets and Necks
are good, you know, the average Nuts team. I agree
with you. Then the conversation would still be what's wrong
with the Knicks? How can we fix the Knicks? When
they're gonna get rid of the coach, We're are gonna
get a free agent, you know, like those are the storylines.
(24:14):
We're bad teams, But I don't know how they how
they're not giving the Nets more when the Nets are
were in Brooklyn now they wear jersey. Anybody remember when
we had Harvey aaronton the Great New York Times columnists One,
remember that a few weeks ago and we asked him
about the Nets. He answered it, you know, but then
(24:34):
he ended up bringing up the Knicks, You remember that,
and talking about how excited everybody was about Julius Randall
and the Knicks, and we're like, wait a minute, dude,
what and we talk about Kevin Durant, James Harden and
these guys. So Fox Sports Radio has the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the iHeart
(24:56):
Radio app. Search f SR to listen live robs. I
mean you're in La. Let's go to La. Uh the Nets,
I mean not the Nets, the Clippers, who are the
nets of La. They had a disappointing loss, and I'm
not gonna make too much out of a February loss, right,
especially since their record is good. They've played pretty well
(25:19):
this year. They played pretty well, but that was bad. Yeah.
The way they lost, I mean they were up seven
with eight minutes left, which you know, obviously in today's right, right,
but still, and they lost to the Milwaukee bus. They
got outscored nine oh in the last four minutes, didn't
(25:39):
hit a score point or hit a bucket out. They've
been the best three point shooting team in the league.
But here's the thing, Rob, they're legit and this should
worry you jump shooting team. They're twenty fifth in the
NBA and free throw attempts, so obviously they're not driving
(26:01):
and getting it, don't get to the basket. And seven
points in the paint, Rob, right, So now they leave
the league in free in three point percentage. So they're
shooting the three. But as you know, I don't care,
how will you shoot it? You see Steph Curry have
off nights, so you're gonna have off nights. That old
cliche lived by the three, died by the three, that
(26:22):
that they didn't make that up for no reason. Chris,
that's that's again. That's why people have felt, all you know,
for the most most of basketball history that a jump
shooting team couldn't win the championship. Now today's era, that's different.
But still, like you said, that cliche holds true. I
want to throw a few numbers at you from Kauai
and ask you a pointed question about him uh, Kawhi
(26:46):
Leonard is the fourth worst. He has the fourth in
terms of clutch minutes in the NBA, and you know
that's like the last five minutes games within five points.
Kauai has the fourth fourth worst clutch field goal percentage
in the NBA. They've been out. The Clippers have been
(27:08):
outscored by nineteen points in Kauhi's thirty five clutch time
minutes this season. He has missed eighteen of the twenty
three pointers he's attempted in clutch time. And so Kawhi
his overall field goal percentage in clutch time, Rob, It
(27:31):
was thirty eight point six percent last year, which isn't great,
but his clutch time, so it's not gonna be as high.
But now it's twenty eight percent this season. I'm gonna
throw this out at you, Rob, because last year they
obviously didn't win the title. Not only did they not
win the title, which no shame in that coming together
your first year not winning the title, but they did
go out prematurely. They went out in the second round
(27:53):
and he choked right, I mean, I don't sugarcoaded, he
choked him. And Paul George could not have played worst,
but I put it on Kawhi because when they went
to make that move, Chris, that's the guy who we
saw performed for Toronto when it mattered, making a big
shot winning the series against Philadelphia, you know what I mean.
(28:17):
So that's what they got him for. They got him
for that game. That's when you want Kawhi led him
to be your guy for a game seven. It didn't
work out. And so far this year, despite their record
and because they've been out in front of people and
not really pressed. But the numbers are ugly or fugling,
whatever you want to say, right those are those are
(28:38):
not That's not a good thing. I don't know what's
their record in games decided by five or less or
whatever they I'm just curious or less. Go ahead and
find that Rob year. Can you help us? Do you feel?
And look, it's his second year, so obviously he's got
time to change this. But I would say this, Rob
to this point as good as he's been, and he's
(28:59):
clearly wanted the best players in the league, and they
are obviously relevant, they're on the national map, but he
hasn't lived up to what they brought him in for
it yet, No, he has not. I don't think anybody
could say that that's not why this is the guy's
won two finals MVPs and no. Has he played well
(29:20):
enough Chris and most of the stretches, absolutely, But has
he been the guy that you thought he would be.
You know, just going back to last year, forget about
this year, that Game seven will haunt him until it
just will. I mean, I'm not saying that he had
to score ninety points, Chris, but he couldn't turn in
that performance when his team needed him most and they
(29:43):
would go in the other way. And that's what you
look at. It doesn't negate what he's done. You can't
take that away from him. But but coming to the Clippers,
so far, it hasn't worked out. And anybody who wants
to paint a February game when his team is ten
or twelve games over five hundred and say oh this
is it. They're bad or he's bad. I think that's ridiculous.
(30:05):
I think that in the Western Conference, don't have a
say if everybody's healthy, but he hasn't lived up to it. Well.
In New York, they'd be dancing in the streets over
that record. Of course, twenty four and twelve by the
way to answer your question. They are one and two
in games decide about I was gonna say I don't
(30:25):
think they play that mini games like, but but I
really don't. I did because they usually chris usually when
comfortably when they win nine average of six points a game. Right,
they're differential. Yeah, they're fourteen and four in games decided
by less than ten points. So but anything between three
and ten their money anything less than three, not so much.
I would say this interesting. Um their levels to this,
(30:49):
as you know, and whenever you achieve something in the NBA,
it's nice. It's like, okay, can you go to the
next level? Right? Like Jannis he won the MVP award,
then he won it again and now we're wondering, okay,
can you go to the next level? Though, right, that's great,
(31:10):
but can you lead a team to a championship. That's
the next level we're waiting to see from you. Now.
Kauai has won championships, okay, he has you know, been
as you said, the finals MVP. But we are looking
for him now. The next level for him now it's expected.
(31:31):
You know when he wanted saying Antonio, obviously it wasn't
his team. He was a fourth guy. You know, you
had Tim Duncan, Minu Genoble, Tony Parker and then Kauhi.
And Kauai won that MVP, which taken nothing away from him,
but you could have given it to somebody else and
it would you know, he a lot of guys that
play well, but he wanted him, not taking away from me.
But my point was rob he was not expected to
(31:53):
carry that team, you know what I mean, Like he
was a part of the team, and so no expectations.
You go to Torto, as you know, it was viewed
as a one year rental. He wasn't expected to carry
them to the finals. And they get to the finals.
There's no pressure on them other than you know, playing
(32:15):
in those games. But nobody's expecting them to win. The
Warriors have a bunch of injuries and they win. So
now this when he's in LA he came with incredible fanfare.
You're in Lebron's backyard, You're in the same building as Lebron,
and a lot of people robbed last year were saying
(32:35):
Kawhi's better than Lebron. Well, he was coming off a
win and people really like the way that team was
put together. I don't forget lets like, yeah, you know
that they're the best roster, like the way it was
put together. No, right, But but my point is that
that put expectations for the first time he was expected
to carry a team like Lebron gets. He had those
(32:58):
expectations on you every year. So this is the next level.
That's my take that that there was definitely and that's
because Chris. He's coming in. When you look at a
guy and go because because nobody does what he did,
which is go to Toronto as a rental player, Chris
and lead that. You remember they couldn't get out of
(33:19):
the first round, right, they had to say, couldn't get
out of the East. Remember they kept getting beat by Lebron, right,
they kept they kept getting knocked out or whatever. And
then he comes and all of a sudden they win,
and I think, compare you know when you add that
to where he was and remember if he makes one
free throw against Miami and that later in that game six, Chris,
(33:41):
he might he might have sealed that game. You remember
the where he missed the free throw and then the Lakers,
I mean the the you mean against Denver, No, no, no, no,
when he was with uh when they played Miami. Okay, yeah,
I remember the free throw he missed. Yeah, that would
have put him up by four. Ray Allen hide the game.
I'm just saying, he makes that free throw, he might
(34:03):
have three championships, you know what I mean, right right,
But I think this is the first term he's been expected,
you know what I mean, to lead a team because
people are expecting a championship, and so that's the next
level for him to get to. We talked about Luca earlier.
Rob Okay, he's shown us he's at a certain level,
and it's a high one. But can you really can
(34:26):
you lead your team to victories? That'll be the first thing, right,
lead them deep in the playoffs, and then we'll start
talking about, okay, can you lead your team to a championship?
So Kawi's got another level to go to. We'll see
if he can get there.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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